Two players from the Cronulla Sharks have reportedly caught the interest of the St George Illawarra Dragons as they prepare for life without skipper and halfback Ben Hunt.
The Dragons are set to be the biggest players on the open market come November 1 as they aim to replace Ben Hunt and have a ton of free space available in their salary cap.
The halfback is contracted at the Dragons until the end of the 2025 season but reports emerged on Wednesday that he has likely played his final game in Dragons colours.
A veteran of theย NRL, Hunt's future has been up in the air since reports emerged that he was seeking a release in the middle of last year. But it has now been decided that he has been granted permission to speak with rival teams.
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As Hunt looks destined to have played his last match in Dragons colours, the club is being linked with halves Braydon Trindall and Daniel Atkinson from the Cronulla Sharks.
โThe interesting part for the Dragons is, I'm hearing that Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall are of great interest over there,โ SEN's Michelle Bishop said on SEN 1170 The Run Home.
โSo one of those to move to the Dragons, I'm hearing for next year, which is unusual because Braydon Trindall is signed for next year.
โObviously a bit to play out there but that's just what I'm hearing."
Both Atkinson and Trindall are currently signed through to the end of the 2025 NRL season but are contending with one another to partner up with Nicho Hynes in the halves.
While there has been no talk of Atkinson signing a contract extension at the moment, the same can't be said for his teammate and Indigenous All Stars representative Braydon Trindall.
One of the most underrated playmakers in the competition, Trindall is expected to be one of the most sought-after players from rival teams after November 1 and is set to receive a large salary increase - he is currently only on approximately $300,000 per season.
It is understood that the Cronulla Sharks have already begun contract talks with the five-eighth as they look to retain his services beyond next year.
"Cronulla have started talks with him over a new deal, but they've parked it all until after the finals series is over and don't want any distractions forย Braydon Trindall,"ย News Corp'sย Brent Read said on the September 23 edition of Triple M's Monday Scrum.
"They're confident they'll get a deal done between the end of the finals series and November 1, when he can go to market."
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This also comes after reports emerged that the Dragons were considering making a play for Adam Doueihi from the Wests Tigers.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Dragons have already held internal discussions about recruiting theย Lebanonย international. They are also willing to entertain the idea of him joining before the 2026 season if the Tigers decide to release him.
Recently agreeing to a one-year contract extension with the Tigers, he took a significant pay-cut of $350,000 a season to remain at the club but has been relegated to the centres with the arrival ofย Jahream Bulaย andย Lachlan Galvin in the fullback and five-eighth positions.
At this moment, the Wests Tigers have no spots left on their Top 30 roster for next season, and Doueihi's departure would free up a spot to recruit another player on the open market or extend the contract of either Sione Fainu or Solomon Alaimalo.
